Method and apparatus for drying alpha substance carried in alpha liquid



Dec. 16, 1924. 1,519,561

R. SUCHARIPA METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DRYING A SUBSTANCE CARRIED IN A LIQUID Filed June 28, 1923 gmemloz am new Patented Dec. 16, 1924.

UNITED v STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLPBI SUCHARIPA, 0F PRAGUE, CZEGHOSLOVAKIA.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DRYING A SUBSTANCE CARRIED IN A LIQUID.

Application filed June 28, 1923. Serial No. 648,345.

To all whom it may concern:

.Be it known that I, RUDOLPH SUCIHARIPA, a citizen of Czechoslovakia, residing in the city of Prague, Czechoslovakia, have invented a new and useful Method and Apparatus for Drying a Substance Carried in a Liquid, of which the following is a specification.

. This invention relates to a method and apparatus for drying a substance carried in a liquid. While the invention may be applied for drying any substance carried in a liquid, it is expected to be especially useful for drying a preparation known as pectin. This substance is very difiicult to dry because it adheres to the surface on which it is dried and cannot be removed readily from such a surface. The general object of'the present invention is to provide a simple method and apparatus for drying a substance carried in a liquid and particularly substances having the characteristics of pectin. The practice of my method enables a substance carried in a liquid to be dried upon a dryer, for example, a heated drum, and the operation of the method is such as to prevent the substance from adhering to the surface of the dryer or drum on. which it is dried.

Further objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

As regards the method, the invention consists in the novel steps to be described hereinafter, and in the-combination of steps, which cooperate to produce an efficient pnethpd for drying substances carried in a iqui As regards the apparatus, the invention consists'in the novel parts and combination of parts to be described hereinafter, all of which contribute to produce an eflicient apparatus for drying l1quid substances.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a partial front elevation and vertical section of a simple apparatus which may be employed for practicing my method. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 22, Figure 1. i v

In practicing the method, I prefer to provide a-surface to which the liquid or moist substance may be applied, but before applying the substance to this surface, I apply a powderfd substance first, and I then apply the liq id to the surface over the powdered substance. The drying of the substance carried in the liquid is then effected and thereafter it can be removed with great facility from the surface on which it was dried.

The surface on which the substance carried in the liquid is dried may be provided by a body of any shape so long as it presents a superficial area to which the powder and liquid can be applied.

I prefer, however, to effect the drying by means of an internally heated drum and I shall now describe simple apparatus for continuously drying a substance carried in a liquid in accordance with my method.

In the drawing, 1 represents a drumwhich may be supported to rotate on a horizontal axis and provided with any suitable means, for example, a gas burner 2 in its interior for heating it. This burner may pass axially through one of the trunnions 3 of the drum and the flow of gas may be controlled by a valve 4.

. Mounted at an elevation above the drum, I provide a reservoir 5 for the pectin, and I provide means for applying the pectin from this reservoir to the outer surface of the drum as it revolves slowly. For this purpose I provide the lower end of the reservoir 5 with a nozzle 6 from which the pectin is permitted to flow over the face of a roller 7, adjacent to which a doffer plate 8 is provided disposed in an inclined position with its lower edge lying adjacent to the upper face of the drum; in other Words, I provide some arrangement as will enable the liquid from the nozzle to flow down and apply itself to the face of the drum in a thin sheet.

It should be understood, however, that I do not apply the liquid substance directly to the surface of the drum, but before applying it to the drum I apply to the drum a powdered substance of any klnd, but th s powdered substance is preferably a dr ed powder composed of the substance Wl'110l1 is being dried. In the case of pectin the dried substance applied to the face of the drum would be dried powder, or finely divided pectin. This is applied by means of a dredging device 9, the nose of Whlcll projects over the upper face of the drum near the point at which the sheet of the l1quid substance is delivered onto the drum from the plate 8. This dredging device is in the form of a reservoir to contain a suf-' drum.

The agitator reservoir is supported piv otally in a suitable frame and is provided with a small roller 16 and a spring 17 which pulls the agitator reservoir in a direction to keep the roller up against the edge of the agltator wheel. With this arrangement, as

the agitator wheel revolves, its edge of course will give an agitating or shaking movement to the reservoir for the powdered substance. In this way the'dredging device will apply a thin coating of the dried substance, such as pectin, to the surface of the drum.

The pectin before .being dried is carried in a liquid which is in a liquid state at ordinary temperatures 'so that it is not necessary to heat'the same before or while it is held in the reservoir 5.

' By reason of the use of this powdered coating on the face of the'drum, the sheet of pectin on the face of the drum can be very readily removed from it. For this reason it may be unnecessary to provide any positive means for removing the dried pectin from the surface of the drum, as the sheet may fall by gravity from the under side of the drum as it rotates. However, in order to insure the removal 0 the dried sheet, I provide any suitable means, for example, a stripping plate, such as the plate 18 disposed in an inclined position with its upper edge disposed substantially against the face of the drum. This plate, of

course, would extend the full-length of thedrum so as to take the sheet from-the drum 1n a continuous ribbon.

The ends of the drum 1 are preferably formed with small flanges 1 which prevent the liquid from dripping from the ends of the drum.

It is understood that the embodiment of the invention described herein is only one of the many embodiments this invention may take and I do not wish to be limited in the practice of my invention nor in my claims to the articular embodiment set forth.

- at I claim is:

1. The method of drying a substance carried in a liquid which consists in applying a owdered substance to a surface, then applymg the liquid to the surface over the nowstance to dered substance, effecting the drying of the substance and removing the same from the surface. f

2. The method of drying a substance carried in a liquid which consists in applying a dried powdercomposed of the same substance to a surface, then applying the liquid to the surface over the powdered substance, effecting the drying of the substance and removing the same from the surface.

3. The method of drying a substance carried in a liquid which consists in applying a powder of the same substance to a surface, applying the liquid in a relatively thin sheet to the surface over the'powd'ered substance, applying heat to dry and harden the sub stance, and stripping the hardened substance from the surface.

' 4. The method of drying a substance car ried in a liquid which consists in applying a then'applying the liquid in v 6. The method of dryin a moist substance which consists in app ying a coating of powder of the same substance to the surface of a rotating heated drum, relatively thin sheet of the liquid over the coating of owder, permitting the moist subdiy, and stripping the same from the drum thereafter. ,7. In methods of drying a substance carried ina-liquid involving the application of applying a the liquid to a drier surface, the step of ap 4 plying a coating of apowdered substance to the surface of the drier before applying'the liquid substance to it.

8.. In apparatus for drying a substance carried in a liquid, the combinatiouof a drier having a superficial surface, means for applying a coating of a powdered'substanoe to the said surface, means for applying the liquid to the surface in a sheet over the powder, and means for removing the sheet rom the drier.

Signed at Los Angeles, California, thls 226, day of June, 1923. v Q

RUDOLPH SUCHARIPA. 

